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Spider Plants
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A terrific activity for beginning gardeners, or new gardeners on the go! Spider plants are easy to propagate! Spider plants will provide you with enough plantlets to grow and to give away! Step by step Try one or more of these three methods: Rooting runners: • Peg down runners in individual pots of moist, standard potting soil. Keep them well watered. • After a few weeks separate each rooted plantlet, still in its pot, from the parent plant by cutting the runner close to the young plant. Rooting in water: • Cut the runner off the mother plant by cutting close to the young plant. Choose a runner that has many roots and little foliage. • Place the runner in a container of water, making sure that the base is submerged. • When roots show, plant into moist, standard potting soil. • Keep well watered to establish plant. Basic care Provide bright, indirect light. Some direct sunlight during the winter months may be preferred. Keep out of hot midday sun, which may scorch the leaves. During the active growth period, water to keep soil moist, but do not overwater. Fertilize lightly every two weeks (standard liquid fertilizer), once your plant starts to produce plantlets.
Materials •
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Spider plant runners Individual pots Moist, standard potting soil Or a container of water Rooting hormone Rooting directly in soil: • Cut the runner close to the young plant. Choose a runner that has little foliage and many roots. • Dip the base into a small amount of water to moisten. Dip the moistened base into a small amount of rooting hormone, and plant into moist, standard potting soil. Go one step further… Compare spiderette plants: • One in zip lock sandwich bag • One in a pot • One grown in water 1. Fill sandwich bag with potting soil; cut X on top and pole holes in the bottom for drainage, and insert plant into bag. 2. Start another plant in a pot, according to the propagation instructions above/on the other side of this page. 3. Do the same with rooting in water, again, according to the instructions. 4. Compare among the three, over weeklong intervals: • Root development, such as number of roots and length. • Top growth, including the number of leaves and length. • Color – are there differences in the depth of the green color? • Do any of them produce plantlets more rapidly?